Can you solve the troll’s paradox riddle? - Dan Finkel

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Published 2018-12-20
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Solution to bonus riddle: brilliant.org/TedEdTrollParadox/

You and your brother have discovered another realm and set off exploring the new wonderful world. Along the way, you see a troll catching creatures in an enormous net. The troll agrees to release the creatures if you can come up with a statement that is both truth and false. Can you come up with the correct sentence and force the troll to release them? Dan Finkel shows how.

Lesson by Dan Finkel, directed by Artrake Studio.

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All Comments (21)
  • @TEDEd
    Get the solution to the bonus riddle here: brilliant.org/TedEdTrollParadox/! Also, the first 833 of you who sign up for a PREMIUM subscription will get 20% off the annual fee. Riddle on, riddlers!
  • @zhang811
    When you realize a troll keeps its promises better than you...
  • @Pralius_
    You can say that the poison gas is in the false chest. If the gas is indeed in the false chest, the statement is true and the true chest containing the gold will open. If it is false, then the gas is in the true chest and will not be released but the false chest containing the gold will open.
  • For the bonus riddle: you can say “the chest that opens if I tell lies has the poisonous gas in it.” If the statement is correct, then the truth box will open, giving you the treasure. If the statement is incorrect, the false box will open, giving you the treasure.
  • @leo-hao
    Ted Ed: Say something that is both true and false. Me: Ozo.
  • Troll: you can only say one sentence Conjunctions: I'm about to end this man's whole career
  • @Laufbursche4u
    Troll: "OK, I release the brother and the paradoxes. But I haven't said anything about you." (Sounds of grabbing and eating.)
  • Can we take a moment to appreciate how the brother is reacting to being held captive by the troll and having his life on the line
  • @hideousred
    Me, panicking: Free My Brother! Troll: Ah dammit, seems I have been outsmarted
  • @DavesDime
    "If you say *something true*, I'll release all of these creatures. If you say *something false*, than I'll release your brother." "Something true, something false."
  • @Vectorlarity
    “You have a loving girlfriend” “That is false, I will release your brother” walks away crying
  • @tposecat2276
    “As the troll stomps off in anger” The troll: crying like a baby but walking away taking high steps
  • @raducora7159
    This should also work with a statement that changes it's truth value after a specific event. Something like "you are holding the paradoxes captive". At first, this is true, so the troll must release the paradoxes. But then the same statement becomes false, so the troll must also release your brother.
  • @shuckle3775
    You: You will free my brother! Troll: That’s false! I lied to you about what I will do! eats both
  • @natalua1277
    Say “the gold is in the true chest” If the statement is true (meaning that the gold IS in the true chest), the true chest will open and give you your gold. If the statement is false (meaning that the gold is in the false chest), the false chest will open and give you your gold.
  • @ianqiao7052
    Me: "You will free my brother!" Troll: "Ozo"
  • In a twist of a paradox, the troll isn't releasing your brother until after the statement is false. It only becomes true when the statement was false but not at the same time.
  • @animekrrish
    She: "u'll release my brother" Troll: understandable have a nice day
  • @dccaleb5529
    Me: this is easy af “You can’t say ‘this statement is false’” Me: oh
  • @avs2229
    0:22 When you must take back your sentence "When pigs fly"